High performance context switching for virtualized FPGA accelerators

Abstract

A hardware context manager in a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) device includes configuration logic configured to program one or more programming regions in the FPGA device based on configuration data for implementing a target configuration of the one or more programming regions. Context management logic in the hardware context manager is coupled with the configuration logic and saves a first context corresponding to the target configuration by retrieving first state information from the set of one or more programming regions, where the first state information is generated based on the target configuration, and storing the retrieved first state information in a context memory. The context management logic restores the first context by transferring the first state information from the context memory to the one or more programming regions, and causing the configuration logic to program the one or more programming regions based on the configuration data.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A hardware context manager in a field programmable gate array (FPGA) device, comprising:
 configuration logic configured to program one or more programming regions in the FPGA device based on configuration data for implementing a target configuration of the one or more programming regions; 
 context management logic coupled with the configuration logic, wherein the context management logic is configured to:
 save a first context corresponding to the target configuration by:
 retrieving first state information from the set of one or more programming regions, wherein the first state information is generated based on the target configuration, and storing the retrieved first state information in a context memory, and 
 
 restore the first context by:
 transferring the first state information from the context memory to the one or more programming regions, and 
 causing the configuration logic to program the one or more programming regions based on the configuration data; and 
 
 
 scheduling logic coupled with the configuration logic and the context management logic, wherein the scheduling logic is configured to control timing of saving the first context based on a sequence of tasks to be executed in the one or more programming regions. 
 
     
     
       2. The hardware context manager of  claim 1 , wherein the context memory comprises block random access memory (BRAM) in the FPGA device, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) located on a carrier card of the FPGA device, and memory external to the carrier card. 
     
     
       3. The hardware context manager of  claim 1 , wherein the context management logic comprises allocation logic configured to allocate context memory for the first state information based on an expected access frequency of the first state information. 
     
     
       4. The hardware context manager of  claim 1 , wherein memory in the one or more programming regions is connected in a scan chain, and wherein the context management logic is configured to restore the first context simultaneously with saving a second context by shifting the first state information into the scan chain while shifting second state information for the second context out of the scan chain. 
     
     
       5. The hardware context manager of  claim 1 , wherein the configuration logic and the context management logic are located on the same FPGA die as the one or more programming regions. 
     
     
       6. The hardware context manager of  claim 1 , wherein the scheduling logic is configured to control timing of restoring the first context by the context management logic based on the sequence of tasks to be executed in the one or more programming regions. 
     
     
       7. The hardware context manager of  claim 6 , wherein the scheduling logic is configured to cause the context management logic to save the first context in response to determining that execution of a task in the one or more programming regions has reached a checkpoint. 
     
     
       8. The hardware context manager of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a bidirectional configuration port coupled with the configuration logic and coupled with the context management logic, wherein the bidirectional configuration port is configured to:
 transmit the configuration data and the first state information to the one or more programming regions, and 
 receive the first state information from the one or more programming regions. 
 
 
     
     
       9. A method, comprising:
 programming one or more programming regions in a field programmable gate array (FPGA) device based on configuration data for implementing a target configuration of the one or more programming regions; 
 saving a first context corresponding to the target configuration by transferring first state information from the set of one or more programming regions to a context memory, wherein the first state information is generated based on the target configuration; and 
 restoring the first context by:
 transferring the first state information from the context memory to the one or more programming regions, and 
 reprogramming the one or more programming regions based on the configuration data; and 
 
 in the FPGA device, controlling timing of saving the first context based on a sequence of tasks to be executed in the one or more programming regions. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the reprogramming of the one or more programming regions and the transferring of the first state information from the context memory to the one or more programming regions are performed in response to a command requesting the restoring of the first context, and wherein the reprogramming is performed prior to executing a task in the one or more programming regions. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , wherein memory in the one or more programming regions is connected in a scan chain, and wherein the transferring the first state information from the context memory to the one or more programming regions comprises:
 enabling the scan chain, and 
 shifting the first state information into the scan chain while simultaneously shifting second state information out of the scan chain. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 in response to receiving from a host device a request to execute a task in the target configuration of the one or more programming regions, scheduling the programming; and 
 controlling the timing of the saving of the first context and the restoring of the first context based on a sequence of tasks assigned for execution in the one or more programming regions. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the context memory comprises one or more of block random access memory (BRAM) in the FPGA device, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) located outside the FPGA device and on a carrier card of the FPGA device, and memory external to the carrier card, wherein the method further comprises allocating context memory for the first state information based on an expected access frequency of the first state information. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the saving of the first context is performed in response to determining that execution of a task in the one or more programming regions has reached a checkpoint. 
     
     
       15. A computing system, comprising:
 one or more programming regions in a field programmable gate array (FPGA) device; 
 a context memory; 
 a hardware context manager in the FPGA device, comprising:
 configuration logic configured to program the one or more programming regions based on configuration data for implementing a target configuration of the one or more programming regions; and 
 context management logic coupled with the configuration logic, wherein the context management logic is configured to:
 save a first context corresponding to the target configuration by:
 retrieving state information from the set of one or more programming regions, wherein the state information is generated based on the target configuration, and 
 storing the retrieved state information in the context memory, and 
 
 restore the first context by:
 transferring the state information from the context memory to the one or more programming regions, and 
 causing the configuration logic to program the one or more programming regions based on the configuration data; and 
 
 
 
 scheduling logic coupled with the configuration logic and the context management logic, wherein the scheduling logic is configured to control timing of saving the first context based on a sequence of tasks to be executed in the one or more programming regions. 
 
     
     
       16. The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein the hardware context manager comprises dedicated logic circuitry on the same die as the one or more programming regions. 
     
     
       17. The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein the hardware context manager is implemented in one or more configurable logic blocks of the one or more programming regions, and wherein the context memory comprises block random access memory (BRAM) in the one or more programming regions. 
     
     
       18. The computing system of  claim 15 , further comprising a host device coupled with the hardware context manager via a communication port, wherein the host device is configured to request execution of a task in the target configuration of the one or more programming regions, and wherein the context management logic is configured to associate the task with the first context using a context identifier. 
     
     
       19. The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein the hardware context manager further comprises a command interface configured to, in response to one or more commands received from a host device:
 cause the context management logic to save the first context; 
 cause the context management logic to restore the first context; and 
 schedule a task to be executed in the one or more programming regions using the target configuration. 
 
     
     
       20. The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein the hardware context manager further comprises:
 a bidirectional configuration port coupled with the configuration logic and coupled with the context management logic, wherein the bidirectional configuration port is configured to:
 transmit the configuration data and the state information to the one or more programming regions, and 
 receive the state information from the one or more programming regions.